Includes bibliographical references (pages 209-218) and index.

Chapter 1. France, Mali, and African jihad -- Panetta gets a phone call -- Al Qa'ida's African ambition -- The most interventionist country in the world? -- French counter-insurgency strategy in Mali -- Chapter 2. Al Qa'ida's North African franchise -- Mohammed Merah -- Al Qa'ida's allure -- Smuggling and leadership feuds -- Kidnapping as terrorism -- Chapter 3. French security strategy in the age of kidnappings -- The Iraq war and French views on military intervention -- "Un parfum d'Indochine" -- Cooperation with the United States -- A complicated relationship with Africa -- U.S. and French policy in the Sahel, 2008-2012 -- Chapter 4. Merah and Malistan -- Mohammed Merah -- Mali's collapse -- Taureg separatism -- The Aguelhok massacre and Sanogo coup -- "Malistan" -- Chapter 5. Leading Africa from behind -- Hollande's crisis -- Leading Africa from behind -- Clash at the United Nations -- Views of the French military -- Chapter 6. Crisis and opportunity -- The jihadist advance on Bamako -- Jean-Yves le Drian -- Hollande takes the plunge -- Commando operations in Sevaré -- What to do next? -- Chapter 7. Serval -- Operations -- In search of allies -- Operation Oryx: taking Timbuktu and Gao -- Battle in the Ifoghas -- Problems in Gao -- Bringing the African forces in -- The trouble with drawdown -- Chapter 8. The elusive "political" dimension -- Rebuilding the Malian army -- The Ouagadougou interim accords -- IBK's election -- Reconciliation stalls -- From Serval to Barkhane -- Mali's prospects -- Chapter 9. The road ahead -- Did the French model succeed? -- Replicating the French model -- The impact on French security policy -- The road ahead.